However, since we’re unable to locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the product’s web page, it’s impossible for us to report specific life stage recommendations for these recipes.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

Canidae Grain Free Pure Fields

Canidae Grain Free Pure Resolve

Canidae Grain Free Pure Meadow

Canidae Grain Free Pure Foundations

Canidae Grain Free Pure Sky (5 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Sea (5 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Wild (4 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Land (4 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Elements (5 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite Small Breed Bison (3.5 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite Small Breed Salmon (3.5 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite Small Breed Chicken (3.5 stars)

Canidae Grain Free Pure Fields was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is menhaden fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Menhaden are small ocean fish related to herring. They’re rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. What’s more, in their mid-depth habitat, menhaden are not exposed to mercury contamination as can be typical with deep water species.

This item is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1

The third ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, both peas and lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fifth ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient includes whole dried egg, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The eighth ingredient is dried alfalfa. Although alfalfa is high in protein (18%) and fiber, it’s uncommon to see it used in a dog food. This hay-family ingredient is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added to provide enzymes to aid the animal with digestion.

And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

The Dog Food Advisor does not test dog food products.

We rely entirely on the integrity of the information provided by each company. As such, the accuracy of every review is directly dependent upon the specific data a company chooses to share.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, due to the biological uniqueness of every animal, none of our ratings are intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific dietary response or health benefit for your pet.

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt, consult a qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

However, we do receive a fee from Chewy.com for each purchase made as a direct result of a referral from our website. This fee is a fixed dollar amount and has nothing to do with the size of an order or the brand selected for purchase.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

I know this is a late reply, but my puppy had bad gas and my vet recommended Wholistic Pet Organics Digest All Probiotics. It’s a powder you add to their food. It really helped my puppy who was also on Fromm at the time.

bojangles

Hi Pitlove,

“however since carbs do contain a protein fraction they too can cause a reaction”

“Carbs” do not contain any protein “fraction”.
Carbohydrates are carbohydrates and proteins are proteins, and never the twain shall meet!

What you mean is that foods that contain “Carbs” can also contain “Protein”

Hope this helps 🙂

bojangles

Hi Kayleigh, Welcome to DFA!

Kibbles are an innapropriate food for dogs. They are over-processed. They contain rendered meat meals which are basically the garbage left over from the Human-Food chain. They lack moisture, which can lead to chronic borderline dehydration They are much too high in soluble carbohydrates, and they are about as far removed from what a dog, any dog, should be eating.

And it just so happens that yeast infections are rampant in kibble fed dogs.

If I were you I would look into a less processed, meat-meal-free, high moisture diet for my dogs 🙂

In the meantime I would buy a bottle of organic, unrefined, apple cider vinegar and make up a mixture of 1 part ACV to 3 or 4 parts water, and thoroughly wet a cotton ball. Then I would sqweeze some solution in each of Scout’s ears while holding her head so she can’t shake, I would massage her ear canals for a minute, then let her shake her head.

Do this in an area that is easy to clean or cover her head with a towel because a lot of gunk could come out of her ears. As long as she can tolerate this I would repeat 3 times a week until you get the discharge under control. Then I would would switch to a weekly cleaning with the ACV solution.

You can also wet a washcloth with the ACV mixture and give any yeasty areas on her body a rubdown. Again I would do this 3 times a week until she improves.

The yeast on Scout doesn’t do well in an acidic environment, that’s why the ACV helps. But if you’re looking for a cure and not just to treat the symptoms, you’ll have to find a more health promoting diet than kibble.

Pitlove

Hi Kayleigh-

It’s a common myth that carbs feed yeast. In fact carbs have nothing to do with overpopulation of yeast on the skin. Malassezia yeast, which is the yeast on the skin common in dogs, is the result of a weakened immune system. A weakened immune system can be caused by several factors, but many times it is the result of an allergy. Either to something in the environment (inside the home or outside) or even to ingredients in food that contain protein. So animal meats mainly, however since carbs do contain a protein fraction they too can cause a reaction. Sensitivities to animal proteins are much more common however.

Feeding a grain free non-GMO food will do nothing if you do not know what your dog is reacting to. If you believe food to be a culprit of your dogs yeast you will need to conduct an elimination diet to diagnose. This can be done by home cooking for your dog using a novel protein and carb or by using a therapeutic diet through your vet. Something such as Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein.

As a side note about rice; my very allergic pitbull does excellent on a grain inclusive fish and rice based diet.

Kayleigh Jean

Hey dog people! My dachshund-pug mix Scout gets itchy ears often and I have to clean them out on a monthly or sometimes weekly basis or wax builds up, the skin gets pink, smells yeasty, not good. She’s been on canidae life stages formula for a couple years, she loves it, but I’m wondering if it’s too carby for her or something? It’s exhausting trying to choose a dog food — super long ingredient lists, everything has a lot of carbs or GMO canola oil or says it’s grain free but has a ton of rice, like this one. I know rice isn’t a grain, but probably not a great ingredient for dogs anyway. Does anyone here have any idea if the rice/carbs could be causing her yeasty ears? And if so, what other brands can you recommend with less carbs and no GMOs? Thank you!!

Tabitha

No worries love! I did feed him that previously until he stopped eating it and I tried several other brands including Earthborn, wellness core, canidae and he wouldn’t touch them so I just decided to feed him a raw diet to see if he would eat it and that’s the only thing he would eat so I stuck with raw 🙂

Pitlove

Ok sorry. You had mentioned previously that you fed Taste of the Wild and were looking to switch.

Tabitha

Hello love. I don’t feed TOTW. I feed a raw diet. Thank you though 🙂

DogFoodie

Pure Balance is actually a good, budget friendly choice, co-packed by Ainsworth. It’s not actually manufactured by Ol’ Roy, that’s just part of the Wal-Mart branding.

Pitlove

Hi Tabitha-

If you have concerns over feeding a food made by Ol’Roy, you may also want to look into the awful history Diamond has. Diamond is the maker of Taste of the Wild.

If you are still looking for a reputable food on a budget you may want to look at Dr. Tim’s.

Oh trust me sweetheart, I’ve done my research. And just so you know, all kibble is considered “junk food”. It’s best and healthiest to feed raw. Kibble is the easiest way out but is still considered junk food for dogs. Don’t get your panties in a wad lad. Haha. It was an insulting comment by any means and didn’t think somebody would make such a dramatic scene over a dog kibble brand. Do your research on ol’roy brands love.. you can not go by ratings on this site. It is definitely not 100%accurate and if you consider this site “research” then you are clearly mistaken and need to look more into more reliable sources. Sit down and chill why don’t you.. Good day love

April French Leavitt

Tabitha

Pure Balance is actually NOT Walmart JUNK. Is it sold at Walmart? Yes. Made by Ol’ Roy? Yes Depending on which flavor it is actually a 3-5 star rating here on Dog Food Advisor and some are Grain Free. It is a High Quality Kibble that Ol’Roy has picked out and is not a bad option AT ALL. So you may want to actually do your research next time

Susan

Hi Kim, Canidae has their Pure Foundation grain free & has 9 ingredients & then they have their All Life Stages puppy formula but it’s for Large Breed puppies, have a look at ingredients & protein & fat % in the Canadian Naturals & then look at the Canidae Foundation formula’s ingredients… I would try another kibble that doesn’t have the same ingredients & protein as the Canadian Naturals, sounds like he’s sensitive to an ingredient, could be peas, or if it has lentils or chickpeas, you wont really know until you eliminate certain ingredients, I would try the “California Natural”, Lamb Meal & Rice Puppy, it only has 4 ingredients & see if the gas stops slowly introduce over 7 days… http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

Kim

I have 2 puppies 19 weeks put them on Canadian naturals and the one puppy has such bad gas it can clear a room. Is the canidae puppy good if she has a sensitive stomach

Susan

Hi Camy, Pure Sea is the same, Canidae re did the bags, made them look more brighter, all the Pure formulas have Limited Ingredients… the Pure Land & Pure Wild has the least ingredients only 7, Pure Sea & Pure Sky has 8 ingredients, the rest of the Pure formulas have 9 or 10 ingredients…. My boy loved the Pure Land, I’m waiting for the Pure Wild & Pure Meadow to come to Australia…I’ve emailed Canidae in America & they have told me, its the Australian Canidae supplier that isn’t bringing the new formulas to Australia….

Amateria

It just had its look updated and is now called limited ingredient, but it’s the same yeah.

Generally speaking, an ingredient listed as Canola Oil, may be GMO with endemic herb and pesticides as well. Most likely, there’s a better than 50% chance that it is GMO if it is not listed as otherwise. Does Canidae Grain Free Pure Land, Limited Ingredient Diet – Made with Fresh Bison Adult, contain GMO Canola Oil as an ingredient?

KariN

Hi Tabitha! If it makes you feel any better none of my 4 dogs (or my cat) will touch Earthborn. They hate it. We were feeding TOTW until they changed the recipe earlier this year….All my dogs got itchy and had patchy hair loss. Now we feed 2 of the kids Canidae Pure elements and 2 get Daves limited ingredient (we have one with grain issues and 1 with fish issues). I could not be happier with the results we got from the Daves- and they LOVE it. The Canidae is working well for the ones on it….Everyone is happy and healthy!

Susan

Hi, I wonder why he’s not eating?? Earthborn Holistic is money back when they won’t eat it, is the Earthborn formula a different protein to the TOTW Southwest Canyon Wild Boar? the TOTW Wild Boar has lamb & garbanzo beans do you think he’s sick of Lamb? have you tried a fish formula? dogs normally love fish, Patch loved fish until he ate & ate fish, then got sick of it…

Tabitha

Thank you so much!! You both have been great help to me with all my questions and concerns! I will definitely go pick up some tins of sardines today after work! im very excited to change up his diet for him and make things more exciting for him! I currently lightly cook his eggs too just because I fear for him getting sick over raw eggs. I will just continue to lightly cook them for him. thank you so much for all of your quick responses! I am new to this site and I really love it so much already! I have been getting some great help and advice!! I love meeting friendly people like you that takes the time to help others! thank you so very much!! 🙂
I may even switch him back to his TOTW brand and just mix up his diet a little bit (with pumpkin, yogurt, eggs, sardines and broth) and just keep it interesting for him. I guess he was just very bored with his plain healthy kibble. Lol!

Crazy4cats

I feed my large dogs each a can of sardines once per week mixed in their kibble. I also add an egg three times per week. Whether or not it is a good idea to feed the eggs raw depends on who you ask. I lightly cook them trying mostly to cook the whites.

Tabitha

Oh absolutely! I’m sure he wont mind less kibble and more people food though 😉 thank you so much for your help! I have some yogurt, eggs, and canned pumpkin ive been feeding him with his kibble to get him to eat it, but I never thought about cottage cheese or canned sardines.. I was always worried about feeding raw meats and fish to my pup so this link is really helpful! i would also be a little worried about raw eggs too, but ive heard other people feeding raw eggs and I guess feeding sardines straight from the can is more beneficial than I thought! ive printed out the list so I can be more aware of what is a healthy addition to his food and not! thank you so very much love! 🙂

Crazy4cats

You’re welcome. Just remember to feed less kibble to make up for the extra calories you are adding to it.

Tabitha

Oh thank you so very much for the link! I’m going to go do some research on it now! 🙂
thank you for the help!

Crazy4cats

Here is a link to a helpful site with some ideas for fresh food additives:

Wow! great advice and thank you so so very much for the quick response!! I honestly would prefer to feed him a RAW diet but I just simply cant afford it right now. im 25 and working as a receptionist living paycheck to paycheck between all my bills and unfortunately I cant afford to feed him a RAW diet as I already struggle enough as it is to buy myself groceries to last me between my biweekly paychecks. Its tough living. I’m not opposed to feeding him some healthy foods with his kibble though if that helps his diet. I’m just afraid to feed him the wrong thing.. im not very sure whats healthy to feed them and whats not..

I fed him TOTW and switched the formulas each month to give him a variety of flavor and I also heard it was healthy to switch formulas so they don’t get any allergies to certain diets from being fed only one formula and not being exposed to other diets and proteins. He became uninterested in his food when I was towards the end of the bag of TOTW Sierra mountain (lamb). I then bought him a brand new bag of TOTW (boar) I forgot the name of that one sorry. its the newer formula I believe. he wouldn’t touch his food at all at this point. I then went to my local pet store thinking maybe there was a recall or something wasn’t right with the food so then they let me switch out the TOTW bag I just purchased and let me exchange it for the Earthborn Holisitcs that they recommended to me. STILL no luck.. Its been 3 days now that I have been trying to feed him the Earthborn and he will not touch it plain. I have been mixing in some puree canned pumpkin and warm water to make a gravy for his kibble and he would slowly eat it but was not thrilled at all about it.. This morning he was being even more difficult and turned his nose up his bowl of EarthBorn with pumpkin and water and only ate it after I mixed in some plain Lowfat yogurt in with the mix.
I’ve never tried Victor but I have heard many good things about that brand as well!

I don’t have a FB but I would love to learn more about this 1 teaspoon of freshwhole foods your talking about. I would love to do anything possible to prevent my baby from getting cancers and providing the best options for him to be as healthy as possible on my budget. What cooked veggies do you recommend feeding dogs with their kibble? Is raw carrot bad? I will sometimes give him a couple raw baby carrots but I don’t think he really cares for them much anyways lol!

Susan

Hi, I think what your dog does well on & wants to eat is the best food, Look at 3-5 star kibbles & look at all their ingredients, sometimes a kibble is minus 1 star cause the protein is under 28% & is 25% but there’s nothing wrong with the kibble & always rotate between different brands, this way if 1 brand is lacking something they are not on it long enough to suffer any long term health problems…. The best food for dogs is a balanced raw or cooked diet even if you can feed 1 meal raw or cooked & then feed 3-5 star kibble for their other meal, I live by myself & when I cook, I often cook a little bit extra & give to Patch what I’m eating some nights, I have to be careful Patch has IBD & Skin Allergies….Patch does the best on TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb he was eating TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon then he didn’t really want to eat it anymore & would look at the cupboard look at me then look at the cupboard that had other kibbles in it, so I started asking him “which one do you want” & I’d have 1 kibble in left hand & another brand kibble in my right hand & I’d tell him to smell the kibble, then ask “which one do you want” & he’d go to take one of the kibbles then I’d get that kibble & give it to him…. What TOTW formula was your dog eating then didn’t want to eat it no more??
Feed both Grain Free & a kibble with a few grains, grains are OK as long as the dog isn’t sensitive to that grain like Patch cant eat Barley & now oats, he starts to itch & smell, I was feeding Holistic Select Senior but he started to smell yeasty, probably the oats, so I wont buy the Holistic Select senior again. I always feed something different for breakfast then something else for dinner, then I was feeding Canidae Life Stages all life stages formula, then Canidae Pure Land, then Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion but I think Patch doesn’t seem to likes kibbles with fish now… I also feed cooked meal for dinner, I always change things around every week….
I looked up Pure Balance the grain Free kibbles get 4 stars & Pure Balance is suppose to be made by Ainsworth, maybe if your boy likes the Pure Balance it was the protein he really liked, what protein was it? maybe the protein & it may not have been grainfree & he likes the rice, add some Pure Balance about 1/3 a cup with his TOTW so he eats his TOTW, maybe your boy is sick of the TOTW even though you change between formulas it’s still the same brand all the formulas might have a certain smell & he’s gotten sick of it,.. or put the TOTW away for about 1 month & try another brand then bring back out the TOTW & see if he eats it… The Canidae Life Stages, All Life Stages formula is a pretty good price for the 44lbs $54 free shipping thru Chewy, it does have brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, peas but it has 3 proteins as 1st-Chicken Meal, 2nd-Turkey Meal, & 3rd-Lamb Meal which is good, Patch liked the Canidae formulas & they smelt so fresh when you opened the bag, maybe you & your boyfriend could go half in a 44lb bag & make sure you put in an air tight containers, then look for another 3-5 star kibble that’s a pretty good price like Pro Pac Ultimates Grain Free its made by Midwestern pet foods who make Earthborn Holistic… there would be other premium kibble companies that also make a cheaper premium kibble under a different name. Other people may know a few other brands, have you tried Victor? Victor is suppose to be good & Sport Dog Food makes Elite Series it’s the same as Victor but cheaper then Victor here’s their site http://www.sportsdogfood.com/dog-food/active-sporting/performance/
Rodney Habib is good to follow on F/B he says if you have to feed kibble then make sure you add about 1 heap teaspoon of fresh whole foods to their kibble, its been proven to reduce cancer in dogs, so buy a few tins sardines in spring water they are cheap & add a couple of sardines to one of his kibble meal then the next meal add some cooked veggies its all on Rodney F/B page & he has just posted a raw/cooked balanced diet with Dr Karen Becker & Steve Brown….

Tabitha Hess

Hello @disqus_cSjGtwHhZv:disqus
Do you think you can give me your very best opinion of your preferable dog kibble? My Aussie is a year old and has been doing wonderful on Taste of the Wild! My boyfriend feeds his dog some Walmart junk called Pure Balance.. My boyfriend accidently gave my Aussie a cup of his own dog food on Friday night and now my dog wont touch his Taste of the Wild. Its like.. he knows ive been feeding him the healthy veggies and fruits and now he knows what a greasy Big Mac tastes like and turns his nose up on his own food.. Ive even tried adding his favorite canned pumpkin and some warm water to his food and he literally looks at me and looks at his food and nudges his food bowl all the way to the corner and walks away (lol its funny actually. ive tried to put his food bowl in the center of the kitchen and every times he will nudge his bowl as far away as possible)…
Im sure he is just going on a strike because now he has had the taste of the junk food. what do you think I should do? should I start feeding him the low quality junk food that he likes or keep feeding him TOTW and just throw in some broth or eggs or whatever I can to get him to eat it again? (also to mention I always switch the TOTW flavors each month so he doesn’t get bored and he has never had any problems and seems to enjoy the changes… until now. I even bought him the brand new Boar flavor of TOTW and he turned his nose up to that too after a couple kibbles)
I also notice that you are very educated on dog kibbles. In your personal opinion, what is the very best high quality dog food (with the least recalls and issues) in the $50-$60 price range that you would recommend if I decide to switch his diet?

Susan

Have a look at the “Canidae Life Stages” Duck Meal Brown Rice & Lentil Formula Large Breed Puppies, then when they’re an Adult they have the Life Stages Duck Meal, Brown Rice & Lentils Formula Large Breed Adult, I’d email or ring Canidae & ask them about eating the Pure Puppy formula… http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

Brodie

Does anyone know if its ok to feed the Canidae pure puppy food to large breed puppies? If not does anyone have a recommendation? Just adopted an 11 week old black lab mix and want to make sure i am not giving him the wrong food. Read that too much can cause hip dysplasia.

Susan

Gee they eat a very healthy diet. Did you see Rodney Habib Karen Becker & Steve Brown posted their simple easy to make balanced raw or cook diet today. About the Taste of The Wild just remember for pet foods to be imported into our country they have to go thru our very stricted protacol.. I have emailed so many other companies asking why wont you import your kibble or supplement etc to Australia & the companies email back saying that their supplement contains too much blaa blar or not enough blaa & we need to change the formula so we can bring into the country… Taste of The Wild has left their Pacific Stream formula as the old formula & did not add the chickpeas cause so many dogs with IBD EPI & Senitive stomachs are eating the Pacific Stream kibble & doing so well. Also a import kibble is more strict with ingredients then an Australian made kibble…Australian made kibbles can add & do whatever where imported pet foods cant. ☺

Amateria

Picture of his bowl, when I make his super bowl hehe
Had to add flash because it’s dark in the kitchen, came out looking a little odd but he loves it.

Amateria

Sausages with potato and veggies stuff like you would find in economy on a plane to be honest, maybe a little more tasty though.

But than altitude affects taste so it’s likely it tastes better than your tongue tells you it does :p

Amateria

When thinking about the fees, I guess we can be happy that 1 night doesn’t cost the same as for us, I had to use the private hospital for my nerve release operation because the public one told me to wait 1 freaking year! I couldn’t walk anymore I wasn’t going to wait 1 year, which would likely have made my body even worse than it is now in terms of fitness.

Anyways it’s literally 5000 per night, like what? There was nothing different looking or differently done than in the public, unless the food was better? But yikes 5k for better food is crazy haha.

Crazy4cats

You’re welcome! I would not let that stop you from feeding it, however. Often the more expensive meat formulas are lower in protein. I’ve noticed that with lamb formulas especially. I mostly feed my dogs 4 star kibble with a small amount of fresh or canned food mixed in and they are doing great!

Cheryl Forkel

Thank you!

Cheryl Forkel

Thank you for your reply! I read the link that Crazy4cats posted and it makes sense!

Cheryl Forkel

Thank you so much! Makes perfect sense

Amateria

Yeah no, haha

Would be nice to have this white wolf as a pet though, just without the wolf qualities 😛

Thanks for the nice comment about them though!

I usually choose pictures based on general mood, I get bored of the same profile pic all the time, I chose this one while listening to madonnas frozen something just felt so beautiful about it and I had to use it.

mahoraner

Wow,
their so god **** cute <3 <3

I always thought your dog was the husky in the picture, clearly i was wrong, lol

Amateria

Here they are!

Amateria

Rusty eats a homemade diet of chicken, rice and veggies of which Anja now eats from time to time, she also eats these raw chicken balls which have organ meat, greens, eggs, fish oil in them.

We use the coffee table for her food because Rusty has no stop sign with food and I lay out natures gift nourish (not a fan) and Ivory Coat ocean fish kibbles for her to nibble on throughout the day.

Rusty sometimes gets a kind of super bowl from me if I can remember that it’s his feeding time, if I can’t he misses out on a more luxurious dinner :p
I add about 6 kibbles to his food, around 10 Ziwipeak pieces, I rehydrate hoki fish pieces for him and rip them to shreds than pour the fish water into his new anti-gulp bowl and if I have a can of Ziwipeak on hand I mix the canned food with his homemade and I don’t know what it is but he is literally on cloud 9 lately he is super happy and bouncy, runs around and plays with toys and I’m really liking this new version of him.

I want to buy K9 Natural again in the future but right now they don’t have the flavour I want in stock, I have told them about it and even suggested they add some items, so I hope to see them in the coming months.

I was thinking of Totw kibble after the Ivory Coat runs out but I’m still on the wall about it, mostly because of what BC said and I’m sure there were others.
I could just keep buying Ivory Coat I am generally very happy with it and Anja eats enough of it to please me, so the saying don’t fix what’s not broken I’m thinking about it.

Susan

Amateria what do you feed you dog?? if you don’t mind me asking & what breed dog do you have?

Susan

Like Crazy for Cats said the protein is lower at 25% protein, where their other formulas are over 30% protein..

AlexMisa

My Doberman did the same thing recently with Pure Elements. He just started to refuse to eat it and went almost two days without eating. My breeder said dogs can either get sick of food or refuse to eat if if it doesn’t sit well with them. To be safe I would just listen to your dog as a dog only refuses food if there is a reason. I switched to Merrick grain free chicken forumala and he’s back to eating his full meals.

AlexMisa

Thaks! That is good to know. I recently had to switch from Pure Elements as my guy seemed to grow tired of it and was refusing to eat. Were currently doing 1/4 Canidae 3/4 Merricks grain free chicken and he’s back to eating well. Knowing that the other flavors are also five star will make switching around much easier.

AlexMisa

Thank you for your replay. My guys gotten sick of Pure Elements recently and I switched to Merrick Grain free for the next two bags. I will go back and try different flavors once I’m through.

Does anyone know why the Canidae Pure Land is only 4 stars? My cockapoo has a sensitive stomach and this line is marketed for dogs with sensitive stomachs. I bought a 4 lb bag to see how she would do with it after introducing it slowly by mixing with the old brand I had. I’m not sure at this point if she will have any issues. I was just curious why the lower rating mainly. Thank you!

Pitlove

Hi Jason-

You said: “NEVER FEED PUPPY FOOD TO A GIANT BREED DOG. Giant breed dogs grow very fast. Puppy foods have too many nutrients which will excelerate that growth to a dangerous rate which could lead to bone and joint problems. ”

I just wanted to mention that this is a very old practice not used anymore (except by those who have not looked at current research or believe “it works”). No veterinary nutritionist would ever recommend feeding an adult maintenance diet for the exact reason you are mentioning. The vast majority of companies now make large breed puppy foods that meet those requirements and also are low in calories to aid in slow growth and keeping the puppy lean.

Your other info is definitely great for those reading, just wanted to correct that piece on large/giant breeds!

theBCnut

Have you actually called them and verified this? Because I have called them and emailed them on different occasions and they told me that their Ethos plant was far too small to make all of their Canidae products and verified that they still had Canidae Grain Free Pure made at the Gaston, SC Diamond plant where all the recalls have been from and that they didn’t plan on changing that any time soon. Their Ethos plant is primarily for research, not manufacturing, according to them.

Nice advice, but I’m afraid it doesn’t apply to me, since my dogs generally eat higher quality food than this and are working dogs, so kept even thinner than you would suggest. And your advice for feeding Giant breeds is a bit off of the current research, but my current dogs are 45#, so it doesn’t matter. Thanks for caring enough to take the time to respond though. The world needs more people who will spend their time helping others.

Jason Fitzgerald

Stick with the Canidae Grain Free Pure line. Unless you live in Canada or the Pacific Northwest, it’s made in their Ethos plant in Brownwood Tx, NOT by Diamond I did extensive research on this… as I do with everything I buy. Also, try sticking with either the Pure Sky or Pure Sea formulas unless you have a puppy under 1 year (under 2 years for giant breed dogs that will be 100+ pounds when full grown); this is around the time their growth plates fuse. For giant breed dogs under 2 years, stick with a quality food that has a calcium to phosphorus ratio between 1.2:1 and 1.4:1. NEVER FEED PUPPY FOOD TO A GIANT BREED DOG. Giant breed dogs grow very fast. Puppy foods have too many nutrients which will excelerate that growth to a dangerous rate which could lead to bone and joint problems. Sorry, I realize I went a little off topic there. Getting back on topic, the Canidae Grain Free Pure line is an excellent choice. If you’re dog isn’t eating, try skipping a day or two, then reduce the amount you feed them a day by 1/4 cup. You don’t need to feed as much with a high quality food, since a greater amount of the food gets used. This also means less waste, since less off the food is just passed through. Remember, recommended feedings are just that, recommended guidelines. Since every dog is unique, so are it’s nutritional needs. Pay attention to your dog, specifically how your dog looks. You should be able to see a defined waistline when looking down on them from above. You should also be able to feel, but not see the ribcage except when the dog is physically exhausted and panting heavily. It is also a good idea to skip a day once a week. A healthy dog can go 45 days without food, so skipping 1 day a week will not starve them. Also, a dog that does not have a lot of excess energy to burn will be a much better behaved dog. Believe it out not, 9 out of every 10 dogs in the U.S. are overweight.

Susan

Hi, try another brand, My boy cant eat Canidae he got bad acid reflux & felt sick, the fat & protein was too high for him…Listen to your dog & look for another brand that’s a different protein & rotate between the 2 brands…feed 1 brand for breakfast & the other brand for dinner also maybe try feeding a wet tin food or a cooked meal as 1 meal instead of the kibble rotate between wet & dry…..kibble isn’t that great for dogs even the 5 star kibbles….Kibble is quick & easy for us humans…..start adding a topper on his kibble something fresh in his diet instead of just dry kibble.. Here’s Rodney Habib F/B page scroll down to a post that says “A TBSP can make pet food better” https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib/?pnref=story

kKeappler

My puppy is 6 months old. He has been on Canidae Puppy Grain Free since we brought him home. two days ago he decided he was not eating his food anymore. There has not been a recall, the food is made in the same facility. He has just stopped eating it. He is full of energy. drinking lots of water, and pottying the same. the company says not to change foods yet, and I am of the assumption that when he is hungry he will eat. Any ideas?

Shea

She is on the sky formula. It has 520 calories a cup! I only feed her between 1/2 to 2/3 cup a day though. I give her a spoonful of Wellness Petit Entrees with her kibble too. They don’t carry the formulas at pet supermarket that you mentioned above so I would have to order it through chewy.com. Thanks!

Susan

Hi which one is Sadies eating as some of Canidae’s formulas are lower in calories…Pure Meadows senior is 409 Kcal/cup, Pure Wild is 454Kcals/cup, Pure Land Bison has 474Kcal/cup, Pure Resolve weight management 409Kcal/cup or their Life Stages Platinum is 342Kcal/cup…

Shea

I do wish this food was lower in calories though. Sadies doing so well on it that I don’t want to stop feeding this!

Pam c

While they do have their own plant, they also use other facilities to make their food, including diamond. You can email them and they will give you specifics.

Canidae seems to digest easier then the Wellness Core, I do my kibble test for Patch… get a glass or cup put warm to very warm water in cup, not boiling water & add a few kibbles, a good kibble that’s digest real easy will float to the top of water & will go soft all the way thru within 20mins to 50mins, I found Wellness took over 1 hr to go soft …. I tried the Pure Land Patch loved it…Pure Land gets 1 less star probably cause the protein is a bit lower then the Pure Sea Pure Sky & Pure Elements…. Patch seems to do better on a lower protein around 25% Rotate between a few Pure Formula’s this way your dog will be getting a few different proteins & not eating the same proteins….

Shea

This has been a great food for Sadie! She loves it. I like that the probiotics and antioxidants are added after its cooked. It also has less carbs and is meat based which is great for keeping her weight down. She has done well on Resolve and is now on Land. I also like that it’s reasonably priced.

theBCnut

Sun cured alfalfa doesn’t offer much to dogs. They say it is a good source of chlorophyll, which is good for dogs, but really nothing else. It would not keep me from using this food. In fact, the only thing that keeps me from using this food is that it is made primarily by Diamond, and they have a terrible recall history.

Sanz

Suncured alfalfa is listed far down the list. How would this affect the quality of the food?

Crazy4dogs

The rating for all of the formulas is above the review. One of the foods is chosen to represent the group. The main rating applies to all of the cans, except where a different star rating is listed after the formula.

AlexMisa

Is there any info on the Sky and See formulas?
My guy loves the elements one, and I also supplement with the canidae cans but am wondering if the other two formulas are also five star quality.
FYI – They offer coupons on their website for 5 dollars off bags and 2 off cans!

He seem to have a pretty sensitive stomach, we tried switching to Wellness Core Grain Free Large Breed and he was not a fan and would vomit so were back on Canidae.

Krystle

Great food & amazing customer service. i highly recommend this company for dog food, especially for dogs with sensative tummys!

Lanie Malvit

DON’T BUY THIS FOOD! IF YOUR LOOKING FOR GOOD FOOD, CHECK OUT ROYAL CANIN, IT WAS ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER BY VETS, TESTED BY VETS, AND APPROVED BY VETS, ITS SIMPLY THE BEST FOOD FOR DOGS ON EARTH ,,

Jessica Curtis

Dog food influences the scent your pet emits. It’s likely the scent your dog had while on this food was attracting the ticks, and that would explain why you didn’t see as many as soon as you changed their food.

Shea

I have just changed Sadie to the Weight Manangement. She has started having uti symptoms but started before I began mixing this in with her old food, Natural Balance Lid. She has never had a uti and her vet appt is tomorrow. Now I’m reading online that Canidae has a high ash content and is causing utis in some dogs. My little terrier is turning 9 and is spayed and I thought that was why she was getting one. Not anything to do with her food!

Ke Sa

My Lab had a terrible itch to where he would gnaw at his paws and legs until they bled, creating scabs and major loss of hair. I put him on origen and a new med called Apoquel from the vet. After the Apoquel he quit itching within 4 hours, he drools for his food and EVERYONE comments how good he looks and how soft & shiny his coat is. If you have a dog with the gnawing and biting issue try this combination, multiple dogs in the neighborhood went on it when they saw his results and all have been dramatically different since.

adam

You cannot change blood PH levels by eating different foods. Urine can be changed with different foods, not blood.

Tracey South

I have been told by vet that certain itches on certain parts of a dog mean food allergies, verses environmental /seasonal allergies that show up as itching on other parts of the dog.

I forget for sure which is which but the paw licking means either seasonal/environment allergy OR food.

But look it up and talk to vet , about that aspect. It makes it easier to figure out what the cause is.

Also with food allergies , I avoid chicken for my dog.
my groomer recommended to soak the paws in a diluted apple cider vinegar/water mixture which will help soothe, plus cut down on bacteria etc.

Tracey South

everything about informing ourselves RE dog food is confusing to ME. That being said, my dog does much better on the Canidae PURE/grain free than anything else he’s had. I avoid the chicken flavors , though I am not sure, I keep hearing that chicken is such a common protein and thus a common allergen.
He does great on the Lamb or Fish for example. Ironically , we just had a Canadian based pet food store open up nearby ; and they talked me into trying their version of the Canidae Pure.
(the brand they sell is Kasix and I notice now, after the fact, when I looked it up here, it’s only 3.5 stars I think)
she told me it would improve his elimination amount and texture, even though he had no problems to begin with on pooping. Not only is his feces now much larger and more often (the opposite of what I was told to expect) but he now burps , which he never did before. And he went back to itching. So I am planning to return the Kasix and go back to the Canidae.
I tried once, and somehow got talked into buying another bag. They told me I was overfeeding. (they are really too good at selling things) After following the specific instructions they gave me last time , for feeding , I am done with the Kasix.

Tracey South

I will say, different foods do seem to make my mini Shnauzer mix have an unpleasant odor. However , this particular food ,actually makes it reduced in odor. Also , helps with his itching. I have recently been trying a new store brand that I got talked into trying to compare with the Canidae Pure. I do not like this brand ( Kasix) as much. Contrary to what I was told, it makes his B.M. bigger and more often and he is itching again. But since weather is so crazy this year and thus, fleas, it’s always hard to tell is it fleas or allergies or what. But I plan to put him back on the Canidae Pure.

Tracey South

We do not have ticks here where I live. Or rather , we probably must but it is rare to ever see any. Regardless, and this is my opinion only, I don’t see how any dog food would have a cause /effect having to do with ticks. Maybe it is a coincidence with your situation ?

Cathy

Well as soon as I changed foods, no more ticks.

Judy Sharp

It might have been a heavy tick season.

Joe Gatliff

I have had a hard time finding something that my now 5 month old Bully could eat without itching or runny crap. I got the bison flavor. And this did the trick. I am thinking it may have been eggs, and this is egg free. So far so good on this he is much happier.

Kelly Hobby Bishop

It might have to do with her PH. acidic food can up the level a acidness in the blood and make them more tasty to ticks and other pests. Give her some apple cider vinegar in her water to help even out her PH. You don’t need much just a teaspoon in the water bowl everyday. Good luck.

Susan

Try the lower fat% Canidae, Canidae have brought out a few new chicken grain free kibbles… Pure Resolve is 9% min fat…. Pure Meadow-10%min fat…..Pure Fields -12%min fat, read the different flavours ingredients as they have a few different ingredients, also maybe try the Lamb & Rice Canidae, the fat is 12.5% http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/dry

Kendra

Has anyone noticed the pure land looks a little more orange? Our lab seems to have a sensitive stomach and was doing fine on the food, but has started vomiting again. Back on chicken and rice and she’s fine. Mini schnauzer mix is fine with the food, but she’s got an iron stomach. Wasn’t sure if there’d been a recipe change recently or what.

Cathy

Kinda yea but her ears are clean.

LabsRawesome

Does she smell like corn chips or have a musty odor? It could be that she has a yeast overgrowth. Have you looked in her ears for ear infection?

Cathy

Well yea important aware they come from the environment…they’re part of nature. Until I started feeding this food I found maybe a handful all year, even during warm years like this one, now its handfuls A DAY. Something very off about that….makes her seems to have a funny smell, which would attract them, maybe thats what I should have asked, what in it would react with Pom pom fur to give that odd smell.

LabsRawesome

The ticks are coming from the environment she’s in. The food isn’t attracting the ticks. Some areas have seasons where ticks are more prevalent. We have had unseasonably warm temperatures this winter, so the ticks have had a longer season. I don’t have a tick problem here, but my dogs usually pick up a few in the spring and fall on our hikes in the woods, so they get a tick check after our walks. I don’t use a flea/tick preventative, but you may want to look into one. Check with your vet. Ticks can carry serious diseases, so you want to get them off of her ASAP.

Cathy

So I have been feeding my dog the duck and lamb formulas of this food since mid Sept. and have noticed a SERIOUS increase of ticks on her. Anybody else have this issue or know what in the food might be attracting them?

Crazy4dogs

Hi Kristin,

It depends on who you talk to. They have had Diamond make their food in the past and continue to do so with some of the formulas. Many people on the forum have an issue with Diamond and Canidae. Part of the Canidae issue seems to be due to their customer sevice answers.

I do use the Pure as a part of my rotation and have had good luck with it. But I also use other foods, mostly the family companies that have had a good track record. I also feed raw and fresh in my mix as well, so my dogs are not getting a lot of kibble in their diet.

I guess you would have to decide if you want to continue using it. It sounds as though your dogs are doing well on it. You might want to consider adding a couple of other brands with good reputations on a rotational basis. I think it will keep your dogs healthier in the long run and if there is ever a problem, it makes it very easy to pull a food from your list without any issues.

Kristin Bastarache

I’m confused by the comments below. Is Canidae Grain Free Pure not a good dog food? I live in Canada and I actually have to order in their food from a retailer in Ontario. We’ve been feeding our two year old Corgi their Grain Free Sea formula for a couple of months now. He has dry skin and digestion issues. Ever since I’ve switched him to their food his coat is super shiny and he hasn’t brought up any bile. I really like their food but now I’m concerned…. Are they not a reliable brand?

Kaylee Sawyer

Earthborn Meadow, Great Plains, or Coastal Varieties (Lamb, Bison, Whitefish) are great options. I swear by Earthborn and it’s great for dogs with allergies. Plus their a small US company that has never had a recall and is not affiliated with Diamond at all.

Is he doing ok on the Canidae? If so, leave him on it. I avoid Diamond mainly because they have had a lot of quality issue…but millions feed it and if you are limited to the foods your dog can eat..then just stick with it. If you decide to change, Natures Valley Instinct LID has a decent reputation, but its pricey. Take a look here

Zignature could be an option for you. They don’t have a single formula that contains any chicken or parts of the chicken, including the fat.

maxxie02

I have a 9 month old german shepherd who is allergic to chicken to the point where he chews his paws and arms till he bleeds and forms really bad scabs. I have been feeding him Canidae after all my research but after reading these comments I am worried. I am kind of lost and confused as to what the Diamond issue is, could someone please explain it. And does anyone by chance have any suggestions for a better food that doesnt have chicken, if when I do find out about Diamond I decide to change.

Eddie

I emailed them about the Diamond issue (they must get this all the time)…they said the only way to tell where a food is made is by the product code (not the formula). Looks like they don’t have a standard answer to this question. I don’t know what to believe.

Does anyone know what % of the protein comes from animal sources?

Susan

Hi Kelley, Canidae have brought out 4 new grain free flavours that are lower in fat then their other grain free kibbles, there’s Pure Resolve for Weight Mangement or Pure Meadow for Senior dogs here’s their site http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/dry

Storm’s Mom

Yay!!! Thanks for reporting back!!

Kelley Biden

Thanks Storm’s Mom, The Nutrisource is working great, I talked to the company and was pointed to another one of their brands, Natural Planet Organics, apparently the VitaHound formulation and the Natural Planet are highly compatible and contain many of the same ingredients and so far so great, I can see a huge difference in her coat already.

Kelly G.

Hi Kelley, I worked at an animal hospital for a long time and just wanted to let you know that when dogs chew and/or lick their paws extensively, that they have allergies. This could be to something in the diet or other outside factors. I would take your pet to your vet where they can give you pet safe antihistamines to help calm the itching down and possibly some antibiotics if the licking and chewing has caused a secondary skin infection which if they are/ were bleeding she probably has. They will probably tell you to try limited diet foods to help rule out food allergies. I had a cocker spaniel who had bad food and seasonal allergies and used to chew her paws raw. I ended up putting her on limited diet food, benadryl , 3v caps and duralactin. That was the magic combination and she lived the rest of her life comfortably and without raw, painful and itchy paws. I wish you and your pet luck and hope she feels better soon!

Crazy4dogs

I asked if the entire pure line was made @ Ethos, she asked what state I was in and said yes, all of the lines in my state were from Ethos plant. I asked about other states since we travel and that’s when the rest of the information was given. I guess you have to be very specific. 😉

theBCnut

All this makes me wonder if when I emailed them a couple months ago to ask specifically about the Pure line and the SC Diamond plant, they weren’t listening and so they told me some was still made at Diamond, but they didn’t mention that it was NOT the SC plant, even though that was specifically what I was asking about. Obviously, they didn’t tell you the truth. Which, of course, still has me wondering what the actual truth is. I guess I’ll have to email them again, because at this point, I won’t believe anything if they won’t put it in writing.

theBCnut

So according to the person you just talked to, this isn’t true? Or is the wording on their website sketchy. I really wish these companies would understand that when they aren’t honest, straight forward, and forthright, it causes us to disbelieve EVERYTHING they say, even the truthful stuff.

theBCnut

It sounds like they finally listened to their informed customers about their desire to NOT have food from the SC plant. YAY!!

Crazy4dogs

I got my answer from a rep @ Canidae during a phone conversation. I listed it on the top of the thread. For my part of the country and all but Califormia, Nevada & the Pacific Northwest, it’s made in the Ethos plant.

Crazy4dogs

DF, I posted Canidae’s conversation with me above. For most of the country, it’s made in the Ethos Plant.

Crazy4dogs

I talked with Canidae today! The rep on the phone said that all of the Pure line made for 96% of the U.S. is made in their Ethos plant in TX! With the exception of California, Nevada and Oregon, which is supplied by Diamond’s California plant, everything else comes from Ethos! YAY! Mine would be coming from TX! The rep did state that NOTHING comes from South Carolina. They also said that Diamond’s CA plant is state of the art. All I know, is in my area, it’s TX, so Canidae Pure is a go for me! 🙂

khloe trust

Hey Kelley, I was in your same situation a couple years ago with our boxer, Sandy. I have used VitaHound with 3 or 4 different brands and our dog’s allergy issues did fine with no return of itching or the rashes. However I have found the better the food the healthier our boxer feels, and it is easier to keep her at a healthy weight. She has been eating Canidae for almost year and so far she seems to be doing the best ever. I’m assuming your dog weighs 120lbs and is not 120 overweight so your dog should be fit enough to run around. I highly recommend upping the exercise Sandy’s overall health is noticeable when she is leaner and upping her activity is how I did it. I WISH YOU THE BEST I know how frustrating it can get.

Storm’s Mom

I haven’t used Canidae and/or Vitahound, but I have some questions that could help with next steps. What are you feeding her now? Is it the same as what she was eating before you got her? If not, do you know what she was eating before you got her? It sounds like you may want to avoid whatever proteins, in particular, she is/was getting. Generally speaking, something like Nutrisource is a good transition brand to try.. it seems that a lot of dogs do quite well on it, and it works really well as a “stepping stone” from a lesser quality food (if that’s what she was/is eating) to a higher quality one. It’s also manufactured in house.

The key to weight loss is to burn off more calories than consumed, though, regardless of the food being fed. You may want to look for something with lower kcals/cup (less than 400kcals/cup or so) and ensure that she gets a good amount of exercise. Hope this helps!

Kelley Biden

A little confused hoping for some help here, I adopted a big female lab around 8 years old, her shedding was off the charts and chewed her front paws until they bled. I fixed her sore paws with Vitahound supplement in her food, and she is way more active but still seems unhealthy, + still is overweight about 120lbs. Their staff indicated I should upgrade our dog food to lower the weight and further her progress. They recommended I check out Canadae and use this site, highly recommend I post any questions about Canidae here. So I see people saying there may be a problem about Diamond, we had a real problem with another diamond brand from Costco and the Blue Buffalo made who knows where. I really want to make sure we choose a food manufactured inhouse, I really want to avoid any regression by another round of trial and error with her food, Has anyone else used Canidae with Vitahound?

DogFoodie

I got a response to my question to Canidae today as well.

I asked them, “Would you please tell me if all of your Canidae Pure kibbled diets for dogs are manufactured at your Ethos manufacturing facility; and if not, by whom are they manufactured.”

This was Canidae’s response, “Thank you for your inquiry. Ethos Pet Nutrition is our own advanced research and development center as well as our pet food manufacturing facility which serves as our flagship food and treat facility. We also have our recipes produced at several other facilities across the United States including Diamond Pet, Performance Pet, and Hampshire Pet. These facilities are all committed to achieving CANIDAE’s extremely high standards for quality and safety.”

So, I would have to assume that the answer is that Canidae Pure dry dog foods are not exclusively manufactured at Ethos.

DogFoodie

LOL, me too!

theBCnut

It’s only been a month or so since I last asked too, but I keep hoping that if enough people show concern that they will change their ways. I try to be an optimist, sometimes I’m not very good at it.

DogFoodie

I sent Canidae an email and asked if all of the Pure kibbled diets were made at Ethos exclusively. I’m still awaiting my reply. Diamond responded to me, but said they couldn’t disclose any information about what Canine products they manufacture. It hasn’t been that long since I last asked Canidae, so I believe I may already know the answer to my question. I’d love to be wrong, since Sam can use a couple of their products as well.

Crazy4dogs

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll call Monday.

theBCnut

Last I asked, all lines were made at multiple places, not one here and another there, so make sure you ask what is made ONLY at Ethos and not at all at Diamond. It’s too bad you have to nitpick the way you ask questions, but…

theBCnut

I hope they have gone ahead and switched the Pure line strictly to Ethos. It’s one of the very few foods that Micah could eat.

Crazy4dogs

That’s so disappointing. 🙁

I will call them to see which lines in my area are made @ Ethos. I sometimes use the Pure in my rotation. Thanks for the info!

theBCnut

They told me they were working towards that, but that the Ethos plant didn’t actually have the capacity to make all of the Pure line and that they weren’t sure at that time if it ever would. I guess it would be worth asking again specifically about the Pure line.

Crazy4dogs

For the dry Pure line? Wow, that’s so deceptive. They’re website claims it’s all made @ Ethos plant. I saw a rep @ some dog event a few months ago that said it was all made in their own plant.

theBCnut

A month or two ago they were still using Diamond for some of their Pure line. They like to imply that they aren’t, but if asked directly, they do tell the truth.

DogFoodie

A friend recently sent the following email to Canidae, “Hi, always looking for more to add to my rotation, I knew some of your food was manufactured in a diamond facility, so I was hoping you could let me know which was manufactured by them and which were manufactured elsewhere.”

This was their response to my friend’s email:

“Thank you for your inquiry. Ethos Pet Nutrition is our own advanced research and development center as well as our pet food manufacturing facility which serves as our flagship food and treat facility. We also have our recipes produced at several other facilities across the United States including Diamond Pet, Performance Pet, and Hampshire Pet. These facilities are all committed to achieving CANIDAE’s extremely high standards for quality and safety. If you would like to send me your mfg. code I can look that up for you.”

I think this response says as much as it doesn’t say. They do not state that all Pure products are manufactured by Canidae or that they’re manufactured at Ethos. It’s unfortunate. I’d give them a lot more credit if they’d just be direct.

Crazy4dogs

I knew they were still using co-packers, especially on the grained formulas, but all of their grain free says it’s made in their Ethos Plant in Brownwood, TX. I just copied one of the links, but if you scroll down the page, it states this, right before the ingredients, feeding guidelines and G/A. I know it’s not immediately available on the homepage, but it does show it at the end of each “pure” dry formula page. I don’t know how they could say this if it wasn’t true.

They actually haven’t ever specifically stated that they manufacture all of their kibbled diets in house in the past, but have implied it. When asked specifically, they’ve admitted that they used co-packers.

Crazy4dogs

Hi DogFoodie,
Have you checked Canidae’s website recently? They state that all of the “Pure” (grain free) formulas are made in the Ethos plant.

DogFoodie

Glad you found something Patch is doing well on! You’ve had a tough go of it with him. He’s blessed to have you.

DogFoodie

I don’t know if it might be different in Australia, Susan, but in the U.S. they do use Diamond. They would have you believe that they do at least some of the manufacturing in-house at Ethos, but as it turns out, Ethos is more R&D than anything. Very unfortunate because yes, a lot of their formulas are very appealing, especially for allergy dogs. Having so few options for my sensitive guy, I do use one of their Pure products in my rotation. I always buy well in advance of being it so if there’s a problem, I would know before I use it. 🙁

Susan

I went from raw back to kibble no problems…also once he’s doing really well try the Pure Sea, start rotating with Pure Sky, so that way he’s getting 2 different proteins Fish & Duck….

If you are in another country it could be made by someone else. I would email to find out.

Kinny Salas

It is? Oh no. I just got access to it here in the Phils. And my picky dog loves it.

Christi Lynn Wadsworth

I just found out that Canidae Pure is made by Diamond Pet Food. Time to switch. 🙁

Pitlove

any reason why you want to stop feeding raw?

AmandaN

Hi there. I have a 4 month 40# pit bull who is currently on a raw (ground salmon and occasionally turkey) diet that his foster had him on. He also has a beef sensitivity and we are looking to transition him off raw but still have high protein and something good for sensitive pups. We were looking at the grain free pure sea with fresh salmon for him. Does anybody have experience taking a dog off raw? Would this be a good switch?

markswillis

Some dogs are more sensitive to gluten just like people
Symptoms are same
Regardless better food means you feed less which results in less poo
So paying more for quality food shouldn’t be compared $ for $
You actually get more for your $
& less poo to pick up

Jason Fitzgerald

I have a 190# English Mastiff who has allergies and pyrodermia. I feed him the Canidae Pure Sea and Pure Sky formulas. I can’t feed him the Elements formula because he is allergic to chicken (his pyrodermia flares up and he can’t stop scratching). He loves both formulas and has no problems with either one. He’s been eating about 5 1/2 cups a day for about a year now. I highly recommend both the Pure Sea and Pure Sky formulas.

Dori

Same her C4D. I very rarely see honey bees anymore in my garden which is very sad.

Crazy4dogs

Yes, Dori, I absolutely believe it. Let me know what they say!

Edit: I do a lot of organic gardening and have noticed more bumble bees than honey bees in my own garden.

luckofirish8

I have a 2-year-old white boxer that has allergies (no surprise there) and often times has very loose stool. We have tried about 6 different foods varying in terms of overall quality with little to no success. The vet has put her on Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Formula for the time being, but says we can transition her off of it as soon as we wish. I was thinking of giving the Canidae Grain Free Canidae Grain Free Elements a try due to the limited ingredients, price and overall rating. Does anyone else have any other suggestions?

Dori

I attended a Georgia Master Gardeners conference a few years back and that was a huge topic of conversation and there was a consensus that there was truth to it. I’ll be attending again this year mid September.

Dori

There is definitely no need to be rude. I understand science quite well, thank you very much. GMO’s are sprayed heavily with herbicides and all sorts of other insect and disease controlling sprays. I choose not to feed those to my dogs or my family. If you wish to eat them and feed them to your dogs, please feel free. Just as I am allowed to make choices so are you. God Bless the USA and all other countries that allow us choices.

Crazy4dogs

And that heavy pesticide spray is what many feel are killing the bees. 🙁

theBCnut

There may be nothing wrong with the GMOs themselves, but the whole reason they went to GMOs is so they can spray them heavily with herbicides and there is something wrong with eating that.

Crazy4dogs

How do you feel about Monsanto’s GMO Terminator seed or the Africanized bees we’ve “created”?

DogFoodie

Maybe you need to start listening to some of them.

Archous

There is NOTHING wrong with GMOs. Go back to school and go through your science courses again, jesus you people need to stop listening to other ignorant people on the internet.

Archous

There is nothing wrong with GMO’s. That’s a scientific fact, unless of course, you are just one of those people who don’t understand science.

Mainer71

The Pure and life stages formulas have probiotics added to the food already. It is sprayed on after it is cooked with the omega’s 3 and 6 as well as minerals and vitamins. At guaranteed levels – so no extra probiotics are needed.

Pitlove

Yes, I added Kefir (Its like a milk very popular in the Jewish community), which has many strains of healthy bacteria in it, to his food when I first started reading about what a sensitive stomach really is. I did it for a few switches in brands, but now I don’t have to. I can just change his food and he has no problems. Typically its said that when switching proteins within the same line you don’t even need to blend the food anyway because the company usually formulates the protein, fat and fiber fairly similarly within one line. They just change the protein source/s. I personally would still add the Kefir just to introduce different microflora to his gut.

I use Lifeway Kefir from Walmart. Its in the section with milk. Get the plain kind with no added sugar. No flavors at all.

erikjohnnn

Thank you for your help! You’re saying adding probiotics to your dog’s food means he can switch foods with no problem? It would be nice to switch between the different lamb/duck/salmon flavors of the Canidae food, just to make it interesting for him. Do you recommend and specific brands of probiotics? Thanks again!

Pitlove

Hi Erik- Really nothing to be concerned about. The first three ingredients in Candiae are whole meats and meat meals meaning that Canidae is a more meat rich food and dogs process and utilize protein from meat much more efficiently than protein from plants, which is why you had to feed MORE on RC and Nutro. Feeding less is a good thing. It means the food is more nutrient dense. Also means less waste because your dog is able to metabolize more of the ingredients.

As for your boys sensitive stomach. Unless he has a medical condition like IBD, adding some probiotics to his food should help with his GI issues. Most dogs who are otherwise healthy end up developing a sensitive stomach from being fed the same food for too long. They stop producing a varied amount of healthy microflora (bacteria) in their stomachs that allow them to switch foods easily with no GI upset. Feeding a rotational diet usually solves this problem. I know it did for my dog. He used to get diaherra if I didn’t blend his food when I wanted to change him over to a new food. Now I can finish one bag and start another, even a different brand and protein, and his poo stays firm.

erikjohnnn

Our black lab/great dane mix is about 14-15 months old and I think he’s just about finished growing, topping out at around 65 lbs. He’s never had weight issues, always lean, but he does have a sensitive stomach. We’ve been feeding him Nutro Natural Choice lamb & rice puppy food, but after a recent incident (he swallowed something, had a minor blockage which eventually passed through, but caused him to throw up a couple of times a day for a few days) we went to a vet (not our usual since we are away from home) who gave us Royal Canin Gastrointestinal food to eat for now. She also recommended that if he has a sensitive stomach, to consider just feeding him that daily as his usual food. She also recommended giving NO treats, though pieces of carrot are fine, which he loves. But 1. the special food is very expensive and is conveniently only available through a vet, and 2. it has terrible ingredients, which I know thanks to this site 🙂

I did lots of research and this Canidae Grain Free food looks like a winner. My main concern is with how much to feed him. According to the feeding charts on the backs of each bag, we were feeding him 4 cups a day of the Nutro, and normal feeding of this Royal Canin food is 5 cups. But the Canidae says 2-3 cups? This food is a little pricey so I don’t mind using less of it, but I’m not sure if that will be enough for our doggy? Considering he’s never had any weight problems, should I consider feeding him some more each day, or just trust the bag and stick to the recommended portions?

We have 4 lab mixes from age 1 to 14 years old. We have tried multiple foods for them over the last 6 years. Usually they love the new food, then about a month later one or more will start skipping meals or I will find blobs of food thrown up in the grass. We started all of them on the Elements product with lamb about 6 months ago. Not once have I found any surprises in the yard, not once has anyone skipped a meal. My pickiest dog who could care less about food stands on his hind legs and jumps around for this food…every meal! My daughter was dog sitting and fed our food to her 2 dogs while she was here. When she got home her dogs would not eat her food. She had to go buy Elements. The food is more expensive than I wanted, but we follow the feeding guidelines and it ends up costing about the same as a much cheaper brand. The first week, the dogs stared at us because the quantity you feed is smaller than cheaper foods. After a week, no problems. We actually adjusted the quantity down to keep their weight stable. Great quality food!!!! Our dogs love it and look and feel great!!!!!!!!!!!

MIDGET

Dori is correct and your situation is unique. There is always an exception to the rule and you are it.

Cargirl05

And actually, dogs are really carnivorous leaning omnivores.

Cargirl05

Actually, my foster dog came out of the shelter with HOD, an orthopedic disease caused by malnutrition, and his ortho specialist vet told us to mix some alfalfa in with his food every day to help him grow out of the condition, precisely because of the plant protein in it. But hey, if you know more than an orthopedic specialist veterinarian, you go right ahead and work with that.

jessica

Try ‘Spring Naturals’ dog food, according to this website it has ‘near-average protein’ content so it is nowhere near as high as ‘Canidae’ dog food. Not to mention it’s really affordable if you buy from Chewy.com! Make sure to look it up on here to see if it’s what you’re looking for !

foss77

Thanks for the advice and links! Yes, I realize now after a lot of time and effort that lower protein foods will rate lower on this site. Wish I had known that before! 🙂

foss77

You are correct, they don’t have a senior variety, what I bought must have been the Pure Meadows formula. I do know that it was a Pure and not a life stages formula.

Crazy4dogs

I would pick Now over TOTW, too many production issues with TOTW. Good luck with your dog!

foss77

I think I have settled on Now by Petcurean to try next but will keep Taste of the Wild in mind if Now doesn’t work for him. Now has about the same amount of protein as TOTW, a senior formula, and overwhelmingly good reviews. I really appreciate the input as this has been a stressful, frustrating journey!

dendawg14

My Chessie had trouble with high protein Canidae and we switched her to Taste of the wild with Bison and she is doing great now. It worked for us.

Crazy4dogs

I don’t think Canidae pure has a senior. Did you mean Canidae Platinum? That’s only 20% protein and about as low as you can go.

I suggest looking at foods rated in those categories then see if they make a senior or weight loss recipe; some senior foods have lower protein. Or, there might also be recipes included in the review that rate lower due to low protein content.

For even more of a selection expand your search criteria to include 3 and 4 star foods. Good luck!

foss77

Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll keep it in mind as I continue to research different foods!

Ritzibitzi

Maybe taste of the wild.

foss77

Can anyone recommend to me a 4.5 or 5 star rated food that is not high in protein, please? I have read so many reviews and comments on this site trying to find a highly rated food to switch my dog to and almost every single one that I have seen is a high(er) protein food. Not all dogs can handle high protein foods, my dog is one of them and I have been racking my brain trying to find him a highly rated food that will not cause digestive issues for him. He also had slightly higher than normal protein levels in a recent urinalysis, which may or may not have been caused by the high protein food I had him on (hopefully switching him back to his old food for a period of time and then more lab work will answer that question) I bought a bag of Canidae Pure Senior b/c it has slightly lower levels of protein than the other food I tried but I still think it is too much for him and will not be buying any more high protein foods. I need some suggestions. Certainly there have to be some recommended foods on this site that are great quality but do not have high protein levels? Also, he will be 7 next month and needs to drop some pounds so a brand that offers a senior and/or healthy weight formula would be ideal! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Dori

A horse is a herbivore. Quite different than dogs. Dogs are not herbivores. It has been pretty well acknowledged that dogs are what is known as scavenger carnivores. A number of dogs are intolerant to alfalfa. Most, if not all alfalfa, is non gmo. I’m not clear why you are comparing horses with dogs.

Stephanie Tadajewski

I recently started my dog on this kibble and I am rather happy to see it contains alfalfa. Alfalfa is used by equestrians as a large source of protein for horses, it’s easily digestible and contains lots of vitamins not found in other grasses. It’s primarily used for young growing horses, horses that are training, or need an energy boost. The fiber content would also be beneficial to dogs in aiding digestion.

Tracey South

I was going to ask about what you mentioned RE the iodine. I wondered if maybe the millet consuming places happened to also be areas that do not have iodine in diet. But as far as the millet goes, I will be telling a relative about his since she is hypothyroid.. Maybe she knows this but just in case.

chiapink

Yeah! now if they would just take out the crappy GMO product……………..ALFALFA!

Shawna

The ones Dori is discussing don’t actually heat the water. They use an ultrasonic pulse to diffuse the oil. There is supposedly no degradation of the essential oil (in addition to the three from Aura Acacia, we have four of the ultrasonic kind). They likely aren’t as therapeutic as the oil only diffusers but that’s not always a bad thing.

el doctor

Hi Dori

The ones I linked to don’t add anything to the oils. This is from their website;

“Cold Diffusion™ technology preserves the natural essence and complete
therapeutic benefits of essential oils by effectively transforming them
into a micro fine vapor without the use of heat or water. These micro
particles permeate the air and may remain suspended for hours, fully
intact, with all of their NATURAL defenses against airborne Viruses,
Bacteria, Mold, Pests and Odors. Other common uses are for Respiratory
Therapy, Mood Enhancement, Relaxation and Wellbeing, Air Purification
and more”

Dori

Thx el doctor. I presently have a large one from Young Living, one H2EO, a quooz. I’ll look into the ones you have as I’m not completely thrilled with the ones I have. I keep thinking that with so many people diffusing EO’s there’s got to be something better out there. I diffuse everyday so I’m constantly having to add water and more oils. I like the cold water diffusers to diffuse oils closer to my dogs. Thx again for adding the web site.

Shawna

Aura Cacia used to make/sell ones like the “very quiet” one. I still have three of them (two smaller room size ones and one larger) — pretty quiet. I just found it a hassle to change out the oils. Work really great though.

Edit — here’s what they look like (only all are gray) https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pbpFTNVDmIAGGw2nIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTIzMmxibWk5BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAMwMzc4ODg0MWYwMTNhZTZlOGZhNDk4ZmRlOTYxNmM0MwRncG9zAzkzBGl0A2Jpbmc-?.origin=&back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Daura%2Bcacia%2Boil%2Bdiffuser%26n%3D60%26ei%3DUTF-8%26type%3Dmdntd2_0222%26fr%3Dyhs-iry-fullyhosted_003%26fr2%3Dsb-top-images.search.yahoo.com%26hsimp%3Dyhs-fullyhosted_003%26hspart%3Diry%26nost%3D1%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D93&w=640&h=480&imgurl=www.momentum98.com%2Faua993.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsengnduwengamuk.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdiffusers-for-essential-oils.html&size=23.1KB&name=Essential+%3Cb%3EOils%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EDiffuser%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EAura%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3ECacia%3C%2Fb%3E+pure+botanical+essence+Personal&p=aura+cacia+oil+diffuser&oid=03788841f013ae6e8fa498fde9616c43&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted_003&tt=Essential+%3Cb%3EOils%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EDiffuser%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EAura%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3ECacia%3C%2Fb%3E+pure+botanical+essence+Personal&b=61&ni=96&no=93&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12d8sqvk8&sigb=16vguguqg&sigi=10tcqr66q&sigt=12umo93q1&sign=12umo93q1&.crumb=REAWe58wNsZ&fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted_003&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_003&hspart=iry&type=mdntd2_0222

I have four small ones — one for each major room in the house. One is from Young Living and the other three are from a local health food store. They use an electronic pulse (I think it is) instead of heat so they don’t damage the oils at all. Filling with water lasts about four or five hours per unit. I don’t run them daily as I’m not here — mostly just on the weekends.
Heading to bed. 🙂

Dori

Night losul.

Dori

Night Shawna.

losul

U2!

Shawna

I’ve never seen, let alone tried, garlic or onion sprouts.. I do have garlic growing wild in my back yard though. 🙂

It’s 12:30 here and I’m attending a class in the morning called “All About Allergies”. Better get my brain to bed or I won’t have anything to work with for the class. 🙂

Have a great night!!

Dori

Yep, I diffuse daily in the rooms we use the most. I’m always on the search for bigger and better cold air diffusers. I know that Dr Shelton really likes the H2OEO but the water tank is so small that I’m constantly having to add water to it. I’m not all that crazy about the others I have either but for various different reasons. My search continues. I did see some fabulous ones on a site but they range from 300 on up. I need that money for their food and her supplements. And surprising as this sounds, hubby seems to think we need some food in the house for us also. Silly silly man.

The other two Drs I’ve gotten help from are Will Falconer and Marty Goldstein. I love those guys. Oh, also Dee Blanco.

losul

Turbo and the birds get way more of them than we do!

I’ve got garlic and onion too but expensive and don’t like them. wouldn’t buy them again.

losul

I can’t remember for sure, maybe from amazon. The broccoli and alfalfa seeds are Todd’s seeds. Handy pantry on the clover. Sproutpeople also has a whole lot.

Shawna

I REALLY need to step up my game in this department. The only sprouts I have were grown in a warehouse (I assume) and purchased ready to eat at the store. 🙂

Dori

Very cool losul, where did you order them from? I’d like to look into sprouting broccoli and other crucifers if I can.

losul

good to hear about broccoli sprouts!

[img]http://s9.postimg.org/jv1gn79of/P4170689.jpg[/img][/url]

Shawna

I had no idea you were working with Dr. Shelton? You are such a WONDERFUL and DEVOTED puppy parent Dori.. If I were a puppy, I would want you as my mommy!!!!!!!!

I am LOVING the EO’s I’ve started using — for pups and myself. I also diffuse them in the air. I have an espresso machine that has a holding tank for used grounds. If I let the grounds sit in the holding tank for more than a couple days (it holds a weeks worth) they would get moldy. Since diffusing therapeutic / pharmaceutical grade EO’s, my coffee grounds are NEVER moldy (even when leaving them a whole week). The EO’s are obviously cleaning the air of nasties.

Let me know how it goes with the paste and the new EO’s.

Dori

Thanks so much Shawna. Under the circumstances I think your correct in that possibly Hannah is the better judge as to what she needs. I’m going to make the decision that for her, she needs raw. As to the hypothyroid, she’s been on Soloxine for years twice a day 1/2 tablet and that has kept her thyroid levels right in the middle of normal. I’m much more concerned wiith her bladder and lung cancers than I am in rocking the boat with her thyroid issue. I’ve been discussing her conditions with Melissa Shelton and have added some different SP supplements along with the others she’s already been on. I’ve also added more EO’s to the arsenal. She remains on only commercial raw foods and fruits and veggies. Nothing processed whatsoever. Odd as this may seem, Hannah gets healthier and happier with every week that goes by. I’m going to next week I think try the turmeric/curcumin golden paste and see how that goes. I’ve been adding the turmeric, coconut oil and black pepper to her meals twice a day but I’ve been reading on TUG that it may be more beneficial as a paste. There’s some debate on that though on research I’ve done as to whether it really makes any difference as paste or raw. On the supplements Melissa suggested that I start rotating the SP supplements to maybe three different ones a week then switch and add as needed but to concentrate always on her main issues. It’s important to supplement for her other issues (arthritis and cognitive functions) but treat the main issues always. She felt that she would get better utilization of 3 or 4 supplements at a time than so many constantly and then to just rotate and play around with them always keeping track of her reactions. Oh, I’m also starting her on her Aroma Boost Oil series as soon as it arrives. Thx for keeping track of Hannah for me Shawna, great catch about steamed vs raw veggies for her. I steamed her broccoli tonight which she ate but with not as much gusto as the raw.

Crazy4cats

No, I didn’t know that seafood based foods were also linked to kidney disease, just hyperthyroidism. Thanks, I think? Lol! I feed very limited canned food with fish due to one of them already being on meds for her thyroid. It’s too bad that so much canned cat food does contain fish. Most cat owners think they are feeding their cats a real special treat when they are feeding it. I know I used to anyway. BTW, That is one of my favorite websites.

Shawna

Okay Dori, I’m going to throw a wrench in this discussion about Hannah and raw / cooked broccoli. Sorry 🙂

I was re-reading the posts from earlier today and when I read your words that Hannah prefers raw it made me stop in my tracks — broccoli (and other crucifers) are known to fight cancer as they are anti-angiogenic (reminder — damage the blood vessels that feed tumors). So I wondered — is raw or cooked broccoli a better anti-angiogenic food. Turns out raw is (if this one site is correct). “The phytonutrient sulforaphane, found in broccoli, has been associated with lowering breast cancer risk as well as improving survival rates (see also here, here). Phytonutrients in broccoli may also decrease the metastatic potential of lung cancer. The phytonutrients in raw broccoli may help bladder cancer survival. Sulforaphane is more readily available in raw broccoli. Sulforaphane is also the most powerful natural inducer of our liver’s detoxifying enzyme system. Growing your own broccoli sprouts is probably the most nutrition you can get for your money.” http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytonutrients/

Maybe Hannah knows what she needs most right now? You could let her have the raw if you cut out (or maybe down) on other goitrogenic foods and / or give broccoli raw sometimes and cooked other times. The data from just one site may be incorrect as well and warrants further digging. I can help if you’d like.

I didn’t want to confuse the issue even more but, under the circumstances, I do think this might be important to think about.

losul

I never realized that about millet! Your right, whodathunk! I even use millet sometimes in making turbo’s food. And we eat it ourselves sometimes. Good research C4C, definitely something to keep in mind and good info everyone!!!

Shawna

Have you guys heard that they now have discovered that seafood based foods can actually cause kidney disease in cats (and guessing dogs too).

Dr. Jean Hofve has the reason why on her website Little Big Cat. She writes “Another recently revealed risk factor is fish and other seafood in the diet. Recent research (2013) revealed that a substance called domoic acid, a very stable, heat resistant toxin produced by certain species of algae that accumulates in mussels, clams, scallops, and fish, can cause serious kidney damage at levels 100 times lower than what the FDA allows in seafood. This means that not only can a legal level of domoic acid in any seafood harm the kidneys, but your cat may also be eating fish that are condemned for human consumption due to excessive domoic acid, which may be processed into pet food. Based on this new research, we must recommend avoiding fish and seafood as major ingredients in your cat’s diet at any age. However, the small amount of fish meal used as flavoring or as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids in many cat foods is probably safe, as long as it is not preserved with ethoxyquin, a synthetic preservative.)” http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/kidney-disease-in-older-cats/

Shawna

Leave it to Hannah to be your little rebel!!! 🙂

Crazy4cats

Good stuff! Thank you 🙂

Dori

Interesting article Shawna. Thx. Though I will continue to give the girls arrugala and broccoli along with all their other veggies I will make sure to steam them from now on. It figures that Hannah would prefer her veggies raw as she’s the one that’s hypothyroid. She’ll eat them steamed but she prefers raw.

Shawna

Hey C4C,

I found one group of foods that CAN actually cause hypothyroid even without an iodine deficiency.

“Goitrin is the most powerful plant goitrogen. Unlike most other goitrogens, this chemical can cause goiter even if there is plenty of iodine in the diet.

Goitrin weakens the activity of the enzyme thyroid peroxidase, which is required to insert iodine into thyroid hormone.

The above linked website also lists sweet potato, as well as crucifers, as a food to watch if the diet is low in iodine or iodine is not being absorbed.

Thank goodness for rotational feeding!!!! 🙂

Shawna

My understanding is that it doesn’t actually cause it but worsens if already has.

I was iodine deficient for YEARS and hypothyroid because of it. Iodine supplements reversed my hypothyroid symptoms but I was always on iodine. Turns out the iodine deficiency was caused by dairy. The casein protein/s in dairy (as well as the lectin proteins in corn, gluten and soy) can damage the little hairs (called villi) that absorb the nutrients we consume. If you’re not absorbing the nutrients, no matter how healthy your diet and intake is, you will eventually become deficient.

Cooking does help break down goitrogens by the way. Quoted data from an M.D. “So I suggest that we all use a little common sense when it comes to
goitrogens and our thyroids — steam, cook, or ferment your vegetables to
reduce the goitrogenic compounds, rotate your choices so that you’re
not eating the same foods every day, and above all,enjoy them as part of
a richly varied diet of wholesome foods.” https://www.womentowomen.com/thyroid-health/goitrogens-and-thyroid-health-the-good-news/ I’ve seen this same data on multiple, and in my opinion credible, websites.

Crazy4cats

Wow! Who’d have thunk? After a little research, millet is definitely something to avoid if you have hypothyroidism. Along with cruciferous veggies and a few other foods that contain goitogens. Apparently they interfere with the body’s ability to intake iodine. Which like you mentioned above can contribute to a goiter or hypothyroidism. What is not totally clear to me is whether it can actually cause it or if it is something to avoid only if you have it. Either way, I think I’d want to limit its intake. Another good reason to feed on a rotational basis. Good info LadyBug!

Crazy4cats

Yes, it is believed that too much iodine found in many fish based canned cat foods is one of the contributors to the high incidence of hyperthyroidism in cats.

LadyBug

Yeah, I kind of found out about the millet by accident, stumbled upon the info but when I checked into it I decided to add it to the list of undesirable ingredients. With thyroid being such a common problem in dogs – you gotta wonder. If it can mess up a normal dog, I bet one with a genetic predisposition would really tank out on millet. You gotta watch Brocolli too. It has anticancer properties, so I do give it to my dogs sometimes but I cook it, give small amounts only and give them rest periods when they don’t get any.
Ah, so much to worry about and as I say, I am picky. I love my dogs like kids and want them with me a long, long time. I do give my dogs a little Kelp for iodine, but it is true, you need to be careful because sure enough, iodine overdose can be as bad or worse than not enough.
The longer I have dogs, the more I like a simple, clean diet with carefully chosen supplements in small amounts like fish oil, kelp, sardine once in awhile. I think different breeds do well on different foods too, even differences in household. I have known people who have dogs in great shape on programs that would really mess mine up and vise versa. Certainly no one size fits all when it comes to food!

losul

I didn’t know that about millet, thanks. I wonder if it’s something due to Iodine deficiency. I believe iodine deficiency can lead to goiter, and then I also found that strangely, to much iodine can also end up leading to it.

Flax I definitely don’t like in dog foods to any excess, not crazy about rosemary or sage either.

LadyBug

Millet has good things about it – nutritious and easy to digest, but I don’t like it in a daily diet because it can, and does suppress thyroid if fed over time. In countries where millet is a staple in the human diet, goiter is common. I’d just as soon avoid it. Rice, oats and barley my dogs have never had any problems with in 35+ years of dogs, just my personal experience and that is why I don’t worry about that so much although I do know some dogs cannot tolerate them.
I am well aware of what goes on with fish meals and probably a lot of ingredients when the truth is known and that is why my dogs get a lot of homemade food. I do worry about calcium/phosphorus ratios though when making my own foods and so wanted to find a decent kibble to supplement with and use when traveling too.
I scrutinize the labels, but the final proof is in how the dogs do long term. Rosemary had been a big problem with my dogs and for intact girls, flax can be problematic. Also can disrupt hormones in human women. I think these things are fine now and then but do not want my dogs getting them in the food every day. I’ve posted my experience with the foods that I have tried in case there are others who are trying to deal with the same issues. In talking to other dog folks I know I am not the only one questioning some of these foods but of course, with so many lifestyles, breeds and foods out there, everyone is going to have their own opinion. I simply state what I have experienced if it helps others.

losul

I certainly understand wanting 2 out things like rosemary flax sage yucca, but can i ask what it is about millet you find particularly negative, especially when your not 2 adverse 2 including including rice, barley or oats?

If your really adverse 2 rosemary, you should probably ask what are used as preservatives in the poultry and fish meals, they won’t be listed. There could also be artificial preservatives in them!

LadyBug

Finally, Flax and Rosemary Free!!! Hooray!!
I have been through a long search for a premium food that does not contain Rosemary, Flax, Sage, Millet, Yucca or any other plants that my dogs should not be eating. My dogs do fine with some grains such as rice, barley and oat but I just wanted a simple diet for them.
I was about to give up on the search and had resorted to making my own food for the past two years (which, by the way, has them in top condition). Then I found this food. I am still making a lot of homemade, but it sure is nice to have the convenience of kibble again. My dogs had no problem making the transition. Digestion is great, weight is perfect (they are active, working dogs) coats and muscle tone are wonderful. I am very impressed with this food and find it is worth every penny I’ve paid for it. It is an Adult formula. They make a canned version too which is All Life Stages and I mix the canned in with the kibble for mamas and puppies. So far, so good and that is a huge relief because it’s been a long search. My dogs are not at all picky, but I am.

Pat C.

I noticed one time when I gave my dog a piece of boiled egg that later that evening she leaked urine where she was lying down (like she didn’t even know she did it). That was the only time. Now a year or two later I have two dogs. I had forgotten about the egg/leakage and gave them both a small piece of hard boiled egg again, and both dogs wet inside the house that day. I think that is too much of a coincidence. I’m thinking there is something in egg that causes this because they normally only wet outside. Just stating this here in case anyone else is wondering what could possibly be making their dog wet in the house. Even if you don’t feed your dog eggs, their dog food formula might have a high enough percentage in it to trigger this response? I notice a lot of grain free formulas add egg product.

Jackie

My dog has a very sensitive stomach and I have tried many different foods for her with no improvement. We even did raw for awhile but she just could not handle the constant protein switching. Finally a family friend who owns a pet food supply store recommended Canidae Pure Sea and the change was almost instantaneous. Her stools have been dark and solid, her breath smells better, and her coat is soft and shiny. We will definitely be sticking with this food!

Taylor Godwin

We love our Canidae! It’s keeps his coat healthy, and he’s never once had digestive upset on this food. He’s had sensitivity to many proteins, but the bison option in Canidae is wonderful for him! Thank you, Canidae! And thank you dogfoodadvisor, as we first learned of Canidae here. ♥

Jill N Augie

I have a lethal white Australian Shepherd with extreme stomach sensitivity. Sky, Land and Sea are the only food i have found with prebiotics to help my Augie Doggie poop. I used to have to put something in his food to get him to eat…. with Candiae, i no longer have to. This food states it helps dogs with “skin, stomach and digestive sensitivities”. Just a thought; if your dog doesnt have that maybe this foods not for you. With my dog its ideal!

1sweetsugar

many dogs will still act hungry and eat whenever they get the chance. However, if you are concerned try giving them green beans with their food. The beans will make them feel full while not adding any calories.

tesslynn amburgey

if you Vet sells science diet -please find another vet

tesslynn amburgey

I got two pups this year…breeder fed costco brand, I don’t have costco…went straight to canidae grain free NO issues

Alexandria Andrews

I have a JRT with a very sensitive system. I feed her Fromm Grain Free formula. It gets 4.5 stars on here, but it’s the best food I have found for my girl’s sensitive stomach. All my dogs thrive on it!

Ya Fei Iona Chen

try spring natural grainfree lamb

aliosh

Orijen and TOTW were the grain free foods I used to treat my GSD’s digestive issues. Currently, I use Orijen which I am very happy with. Previously, I fed my GSD kibble containing grains like barely, rice, oats. Still he could not tolerate them as a main staple in his diet. I stayed clear of wheat and corn, but it did not matter in my case because grains of any kind were apparently causing him digestive distress. I am very pleased with the results I have seen over the past 3 years using Orijen Adult dry food. Even through their formula change, my dog still does well on their food.

Bob K

Good for you to find a suitable kibble. Were you able to isolate the allergen that was causing the problem both Orijen and TOTW have many different formulas?

aliosh

My GSD had chronic diarrhea and vomiting and was a terrible eater. I tried several brands of high quality kibble but he disliked them all. My vet never suggested it could be his food either. I searched the internet and decided to put him on a grain free diet. Taste of the Wild was my initial grain free food although my GSD did not eat it willingly. His digestive issues were relieved but he scratched a lot. However, I made the switch to Orijen Adult dog food after TOTW was recalled. My GSD is now 7 years old and no longer suffers from any digestive issues or excessive itching. I will never feed him anything but Orijen. His weight is great and his health is too.

Rose, Have a look at the Wellness range, My boy is on the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal, he cant have high protein or high fat either… here’s a link to have a look at the Wellness Complete Health kibbles then scoll down a bit & u’lll see the Wellness Simple..slowly introduce when starting a new kibble I do it over 2 weeks so Patch doesnt have diarrhea, his poos are firm on the Simple, I was going to try the Canidae but it was too high in fat so I picked the Wellness instead..http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

Guest

Can you tell me why?

Jordie

Best to stay away

Bobby dog

Hi Rose Marie:
I don’t have too much experience with digestive issues; however check this website out for suggestions. You may want to add digestive enzymes and probiotics to help with transitioning to a new food.

If your pup has been eating one food for any length of time you may have issues introducing a new food such as diarrhea. One of my favorite home remedies is canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) for either diarrhea or constipation. I freeze canned pumpkin in small portions to have handy for such occasions for both my dog and cats. My dog is around 40 lbs and I feed him one tablespoon/2x day when needed; with any new supplement or food it is always best to start with smaller portions and adjust accordingly. Here’s some info on pumpkin and other fresh foods that may help with loose stools:

Check out foods rated 3 – 4 stars on DFA for a lower protein food. Some foods will fall into this rating category due to lower protein percentages; dog foods with higher meat content are usually rated higher. Here’s info on how DFA rates dog food:

You might also look into diet rotation for your dogs. If Ideal Balance is working for your dogs, keep that in your rotation, but add other kibbles they do well on also. This will also help when a company changes recipes; they always do. Sometimes there is fair warning to recipes changes, most times there is not. When you have other foods your dogs do well on you never have to worry about a rocky transition again when feeding a rotational diet!

When I started introducing Canidea dog food to my dogs they had diarrhea all over the house. I feed my dogs Science Diet Ideal Balance because it’s low in protein, but everyone says its really bad food. Does anyone else know a good food that is low in protein that is good for English Mastiffs?

sue

Started feeding both my yorkies Pure Land and both act like they are starving even though both are putting on weight and look bloated. Is this unusual?

Jordie

Gracie saw the specialist Friday…he feels she ingested something which caused severe gastritis . Be it food? something she picked up? something on the beach?. No ultrasound at this time. If she crashes again, will be done then . There is a very small small percentage it could be a disease process developing . She is doing well.
Bottom line…I don’t think I will ever know exactly what caused this.
But I can not take the chance of using Canidae again …

Jordie

Hi there
Gracie is doing better. Thank you :). But not sure she is out of the woods. My issue with CANIDAE is DIAMOND being one of their manufacturing plants, along with several others. I loved the ingredients in this food. Just can’t get past their food is made is so many different places. The customer service was terrific.
THIS IS WHAT THEY SENT TO ME…….Ethos Pet Nutrition is our own advanced research and development center as well as our pet food manufacturing facility which serves as our flagship food and treat facility. We also have our recipes produced at several other facilities across the United States including Diamond Pet, Performance Pet, and Hampshire Pet. These facilities are all committed to achieving CANIDAE’s extremely high standards for quality and safety. I also want to let you know that all ingredients are tested prior to unloading. Product is tested during the manufacturing process. Finished product is set aside and is not released until it passes our “Test and Hold” protocols.
It is our commitment to you and your pets to help diagnose the cause of your pets illness. Although the food is the easiest, most tangible and first item to blame, direct illness from miss manufacturing from any of our products has never been confirmed. We practice vigorous safety controls at all of our production facilities and thoroughly test all incoming ingredients. If our food was not manufactured to the specifications on the label, and there was an illness from that, we would gladly reimburse you 100% for your vet bill. In all reported cases we have done a thorough investigation and our batch was 100% safe and made to within specs with no evidence of miss manufacturing of our formulation

Ingrid Castillo

Hello, any updates on how your dog is doing? Sounds bad. I was wondering because I had been reading good things about canidae, but now, in not so sure. Any feedback is appreciated.

Jordie

Lab Mom here with upside down pic 🙂
PLEASE READ ALL ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH TRYING CANIDAE BISON AND LAMB!!!!!!
Switched my lab from wellness to CANIDAE.
MY DOG IS ILL…SERIOUSLY I’LL AS I TYPE THIS.
severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, nausea, listless,
I have had 2 emergency hospital visits. And 4 visits to my regular vet.
ALL AFTER FEEDING CANIDAE BISON AND LAMB
SEVERAL X-RAYS, LAB WORK, BARIUM STUDY AND WE STILL DO NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON.
Gastritis????? Ulcer?????? Intestinal cancer???!

I have an appt. with my vet this morning August 18th2014
Was at the ER yesterday again.

THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED AFTER FEEDING CANIDAE.
MY Lab Gracie is very sick…

LabLover

Yep, I rotate each month between these foods. I tend to mix the Dr Tims together, Annamaet together, etc.. I never have to worry about bags taking too long to go through with three big dogs.

Crazy4cats

I think it is perfectly fine to mix dry dog foods to get a good balance for your dogs. Just make sure, like Storm’s mom suggested, that you get through them quickly enough to avoid either going rancid. Also make sure you switch the two foods you are mixing from time to time. You don’t want to feed the same thing forever. There are a couple of regulars that feed that way also. It does, however make it tougher to know which food is causing an issue if there are any that come up. But if it’s working and it makes it more affordable to mix in a higher quality food, I say go for it!

LabLover

Sorry, I know this isnt the best place to ask questions, but I cant seem to post in the forums for some reason.
I do rotate quite often between Dr Tims, Annamaet, and Victor. I have one dog (Whitney) that does great on grain free foods. She has spay incontinence and if she eats grain free or mix of grain and grain free, she doesnt leak. It sounds weird but it works and she doesnt need any Proin. I have one (Nala)that does better on grain free but doesnt need to really eat it. I have noticed her belly isnt as gassy (no farting LOL) if she eats a grain free food or a mix like my other dog. My third dog (Apollo) can eat anything.

So I was wondering if I mix the grain and grain free two together (Which I have done) is really causing any issues? Im not one to think every dog needs grain free but two of mine do better eating it. I guess it comes down to money I suppose because going through three bags of grain free is a little pricey for me and if I can buy a regular bag and add it in, I can save a little money. I have three Labradors and they are very active. They eat 3.5 cups a day. Ends up pretty close to 30lbs in 10 days with three dogs

Storm’s Mom

Yes it’s technically “ok”, BUT.. so many questions that would be helpful to know when providing you the best answer! Why are you wanting to mix rather than, say, go entirely grain-free? (if it’s budget, there are some very budget-friendly grain-free options, if you’re interested in recommendations) How big are your dogs? Are we talking big bags or small bags of kibble?

If this is just a temporary or short term thing (to transition, etc) then I would say it’s fine, but if you’re thinking of this as a long term feeding strategy, I would get concerned about 2 things in particular. First being rancidity – if you have 2 bags of kibble open at the same time, it would take your dogs longer to go through each bag, increasing the likelihood of one or more kibble becoming rancid.

Two chicken based kibbles aren’t going to provide you with as much variety, either. On the other hand, if they are 2 very different kibbles that you are feeding together over a long period of time, then if an intolerance pops up it could be a nightmare trying to figure out which ingredient is the problem (it still could be with 2 different chicken kibbles depending upon how different they are).

IMHO, it would be better to stick with one kibble (at a time..I’m all for rotating kibbles every bag, etc) and mix in random canned toppers for variety.

I do know that there are some on here who do mix in two or more kibbles consistently and regularly so their dogs are always eating 2 different kibbles at any given time, but as I said, personally I would (and do) stick with one kibble at a time, rotate through a few very different kibbles, and add in a random canned topper. It’s way less risky on a whole bunch of fronts.

PrivacyInA9M80

Did Canidae drastically reduce its protein content over the past year in its PureLand recipe? There are missing ingredients, as well.

(My English Shepherd w/allergies has always done (and still does) great on the PureLand.)